Speed Reads:
- We consider Endurance to be the best car warranty company overall, awarding it the distinction of Best Coverage.
- Olive and CarShield also ranked second and third in our study by displaying strong coverage options, customer service, and affordability.
- Top warranty companies all have something unique to offer, so we recommend comparing quotes from several to find the best protection for your needs.
*Based on data from our users.
If you’re looking to continue your warranty after the expiration of manufacturer’s coverage, it’s smart to consider extended protection from one of the industry’s top car warranty companies.
In this guide, we’ll give a short overview of the best extended car warranty companies worth considering, focusing on industry reputation, customer service ratings, cost, and coverage plans. We’ll also touch on some important things to know about extended warranties that could help you choose the right fit for your vehicle.
What Are The Best Car Warranty Companies Of 2023?
Endurance, CARCHEX, autopom!, CarShield, and Olive are the best car warranty companies recommended by our expert team in 2023. Below are basic details about each (see how we rate companies here):
| Warranty Provider | Best For | Overall Rating | Coverage Levels | Years in Business |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Endurance | Motorists looking for a direct warranty administrator | 4.6 | 6 | 17 |
| 2. CARCHEX | Motorists who want to buy from a well-established brand | 4.5 | 5 | 24 |
| 3. autopom! | Drivers looking for a strong customer service record for shopping and claims | 4.5 | 3 | 14 |
| 4. CarShield | Owners of specialty or used vehicles | 4.4 | 6 | 18 |
| 5. Olive | Drivers looking for an easy online claims process | 4.4 | 3 | 23 |
| 6. Omega Auto Care | Drivers who need a high mileage limit and want maintenance and tire protection | 4.4 | 3 | 28 |
| 7. Concord Auto Protect | Motorists who have vehicles with reliability issues or high mileage | 4.3 | 3 | 10 |
| 8. Everything Breaks | Drivers who may also need home warranty coverage and are looking to bundle | 4.3 | 5 | 9 |
| 9. MPP | Owners wanting a variety of warranty and maintenance coverage options | 4.2 | 10 | 45 |
| 10. Ally | Drivers looking for a company backed by strong financial support | 4.2 | 4 | 39 |
Top 10 Extended Auto Warranty Companies
Our expert review team uses industry standing, coverage, cost, transparency, and customer service to determine the best car warranty companies. The sections below take an in-depth look at the 10 best car warranty companies, including both direct warranty providers and car warranty brokers. Our ranking is based on over 2,000 data points, a secret shopper analysis of each provider, and knowledge of what consumers care most about according to our own surveys. Each of these providers scored highly for industry standing and transparency in our review of the warranty market.
1. Endurance: Best Coverage
2. CARCHEX: Best For Used Cars
3. Autopom!: Excellent Customer Service
4. CarShield: Best for Electric Vehicles
5. Olive: Best Value
6. Omega Auto Care: Over 25 Years Of Experience
7. Concord Auto Protect: Best For Luxury Vehicles
8. Everything Breaks
9. MPP
10. Ally
Car Warranty Companies
Extended new and used car warranties can help you avoid draining your savings account or relying on credit cards to cover unexpected mechanical repairs. But without properly vetting companies, you could end up wasting hard-earned money on an extended warranty with bad coverage or customer service.
Car Warranty Company Reviews
If you’d like aftermarket car warranty coverage, shopping for quality options and determining the best warranty provider could be difficult. While reputable extended car warranty companies offer decent coverage at good rates, some extended warranties are little more than scams, taking customers’ money and failing to provide adequate service.
List Of Car Warranty Companies
If you don’t see your provider in our list of the 10 best car warranty companies, here are other options we’ve researched and given ratings. Based on our in-depth research, these providers didn’t perform quite as well overall when it came to industry reputation, average cost, coverage plans, and customer service.
| Extended Car Warranty Provider | Our Rating |
|---|---|
| Select Auto Protect | 4.1 |
| Toco | 4.1 |
| ASC Warranty | 4.1 |
| EasyCare Warranty | 4.0 |
| Safe-Guard | 4.0 |
| AutoAssure | 4.0 |
| Vehicle Assurance | 4.0 |
| CornerStone United | 4.0 |
| American Dream Auto Protect | 4.0 |
| Warranty Solutions | 4.0 |
| Smart AutoCare | 3.9 |
| CNA National Warranty Corporation | 3.9 |
| National Auto Care | 3.9 |
| American Auto Repair Coverage | 3.9 |
| NVP | 3.9 |
| GWC Warranty | 3.9 |
| National Vehicle Protection Services | 3.9 |
| Zurich | 3.9 |
| Century Warranty Services | 3.9 |
| Fidelity Warranty Services | 3.8 |
Do Consumers Trust Extended Warranty Companies?
Our team polled 1,000 consumers who have purchased or thought about buying an extended warranty. Of those who had extended warranties, 65 percent were satisfied with the provider whether they had used their coverage or not.
However, 7 percent were disappointed that the warranty didn’t cover certain repairs while 5 percent believed their company had tried to avoid paying for covered repairs.
Trust Levels In Dealerships Vs. Car Warranty Companies
In our review team’s survey, we asked consumers about their level of trust in extended warranties from both third-party providers and car dealerships. We found that 63 percent of respondents trust an extended warranty from a third-party car warranty company. On the other hand, 15 percent of respondents don’t trust extended warranties from independent providers.
When it comes to purchasing an extended warranty from a car dealership, 65 percent of consumers we polled trust this process. However, 16 percent of respondents don’t trust purchasing extended warranty coverage from a car dealership.
From this data, we can generalize that slightly more consumers have trust in purchasing an extended warranty from a car dealership than from a third-party car warranty company. Truly, though, there’s very little difference in Americans’ perceptions of the two.
Types Of Car Warranty Companies
When it comes to purchasing a vehicle warranty, you have two main options: coverage backed by your car manufacturer or from an independent auto warranty provider. Take a look at the differences between these two options below.
Manufacturer-Backed Extended Warranties
All new cars leave the dealership with a factory warranty that varies in length but is usually short. If you enjoyed the protection of your manufacturer’s warranty, there’s the option of buying an extended warranty directly from the carmaker.
Most auto dealers offer their own extended warranties, but they’re generally only available for purchase before a car’s original warranty expires. Plans are typically less comprehensive than the bumper-to-bumper warranty you get during the first few years of a car’s life, but they still cover many parts. One upside is that repairs will be made by factory-trained technicians using original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts.
Extended warranties from the dealership tend to cost far more than third-party options. You also have significantly less room to customize your car coverage plan. Make sure you know what’s covered and for how long before purchasing an extended warranty from your dealer, as these plans are generally somewhat limited and don’t last long.
When you purchase a vehicle service contract from the dealership, you’re limited with where car repairs can be done. Typically, service can only be performed at dealerships for your automaker.
Third-Party Car Warranty Companies
If unexpected and costly repair bills are something you’re worried about, look into third-party warranty coverage. Make sure to only get free quotes from reputable extended car warranty companies in order to avoid potential scams.
With independent providers, you have the ability to purchase an extended service plan for new and used vehicles at almost any mileage. Third-party providers also typically have more coverage options than manufacturers, letting you buy a plan that better suits your vehicle and budget.
This type of vehicle service agreement is, in many ways, the reverse of a dealer warranty. While you generally won’t receive exact factory replacement parts, many third-party warranty companies have larger repair networks, meaning your car can be repaired at almost any repair facility under warranty.
The coverage options and additional perks are similar to what you’ll get from a dealership, while sometimes they’re better. Though the best car warranty companies are cheaper than auto dealers most of the time, it’s best to compare rates with instant quotes.
Direct Service Providers
Car warranty companies that handle their own vehicle protection plans are called direct service providers. Being a direct service provider means the company handles everything from selling the warranty to approving car warranty claims to paying repair shops when your car gets fixed. The idea is that customers will always know who they’re dealing with rather than having to work with warranty middlemen.
How To Find The Best Car Warranty Company
With extended car warranties, you can choose a provider that keeps the process in-house to make sure that you receive a high standard of service. You could also select an extended warranty company that uses third-party administrators to handle claims and contract details.
Below are the steps to take when getting an extended warranty for your vehicle:
- Research different car warranty providers
- Find the best coverage for your car based on budget and needs
- Compare coverage plans from multiple providers
- Ask any questions you have before purchasing
What To Look For In Car Warranty Companies
If you understand what to look for in car warranty companies, you’ll have plenty of excellent options for coverage. We typically consider the following five categories when evaluating the best extended car warranty providers.
1. Industry Standing
Why it’s important: Industry standing is an excellent way to check whether a company is legitimate or a fraud. Our team recommends looking for extended warranty companies that have partnered with other trusted providers and that regularly win industry awards.
How to check: One place to start is the BBB, which rates providers based on how they resolve customer complaints, their transparency with business practices, and any known licensing or advertising issues. We also suggest looking into how long a warranty provider has been in business and how many states it serves.
2. Coverage
Why it’s important: If you’re going to spend upward of $1,000 on an extended warranty, it’s important that your most essential vehicle parts and components will actually be covered.
How to check: Any reputable extended car warranty provider will allow potential customers to review sample service contracts to verify what the warranty covers. These sample contracts list out exactly what is and isn’t protected by the warranty. Carefully read the full list of coverage and exclusions with any extended car warranty before purchasing a plan.
3. Cost
Why it’s important: If you want an extended warranty to help you save on repair costs, you need to find the best coverage plan at the lowest possible cost.
How to check: Most extended warranty providers offer easy-to-use online quote tools, though you may sometimes have to call to request pricing. Most warranty providers also offer long-term payment plans, though some may require upfront payments instead.
4. Transparency
Why it’s important: Any company that makes coverage details difficult to find should raise eyebrows. Solid providers will be upfront about contract information – it’s a bad sign when a provider tries to hide important coverage details from its customers.
How to check: Companies with a strong BBB standing and that post sample contracts online demonstrate a high level of transparency. If you have difficulty finding contract details or even receiving a quote from a provider, this should be a major red flag.
5. Customer Service
Why it’s important: Any extended warranty is only as good as the service provided when it comes time to file a claim. The worst extended car warranty companies have slow claims processes, poor responsiveness, and regularly look for excuses to deny claims.
How to check: Look at a company’s BBB page, which lists out customer reviews and complaints. Also check websites such as Trustpilot to see what customers are saying. While even the best extended warranty provider is bound to have its fair share of complaints, providers with an especially high volume of complaints should be met with skepticism.
Avoiding Scams From The Worst Car Warranty Companies
Unfortunately, some providers take their business practices to new lows and are outright scams. Here are a couple of ways to avoid these companies:
Recognize Unreliable Companies
Apart from phishing scams, there are vehicle warranty companies that make it difficult to get the coverage you’re paying for. Red flags to look out for when vetting an extended warranty company are a lack of industry endorsements, major limitations in coverage, and poor ratings on popular review sites.
The BBB lists consumer complaints on its site, so that’s a great place to start. Ideally, you’ll want to search for a company with a lower-than-average volume of complaints.
Disregard Spam Calls
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mentions scams in which car owners receive sales calls stating that their warranty is about to expire. During these calls, the scammer may pose as an employee from a legitimate company and could even provide specific information about the receiver’s car, further deceiving them into believing the call.
However, the caller is generally phishing for personal information, so do not provide any sensitive details. If you believe that you’ve been contacted by one of these scammers, immediately report the number to the FCC.
Best Extended Auto Warranty Companies: Conclusion
Our team took a deep dive into leading warranty providers’ reputations within the industry, available coverage plans, average costs, and customer service quality. Based on our findings, we named the following as the 10 best car warranty companies of 2023:
- Endurance: Best Coverage
- CARCHEX: Best for Used Cars
- autopom!: Excellent Customer Service
- CarShield: Best for Electric Vehicles
- Olive: Best Value
- Omega Auto Care: Over 25 Years of Experience
- Concord Auto Protect: Best for Luxury Vehicles
- Everything Breaks
- MPP
- Ally
Each of these reputable extended auto warranty companies will likely serve you well, save you from paying for auto repairs out of pocket, and provide peace of mind. However, these companies offer plans that appeal to varying types of vehicle owners, so we’d recommend comparing free quotes from multiple providers to find the best choices for you.
*Based on data from our users.
Auto Warranty Companies: FAQ
Below are some frequently asked questions about the best car warranty companies:
Best Car Warranty Company Review: Our Process
Each year, our team collects over 2,000 data points and scrutinizes services to rank the best extended warranty coverage out there. Our process includes secret shopping for a variety of quotes on different vehicles, analyzing quality and plan options, and evaluating contract transparency.
After our analysis, we create a score in each review category based on our methodology. We also keep our data current by refreshing quotes, plan information, customer reviews, and more throughout the year. You can learn more about each review category below.
Industry Standing
Warranty providers with a history of strong business practices and endorsements from experts receive the highest scores in this category. We look at the longevity of a company, its availability by state, partnerships with industry leaders like RepairPal and CARFAX, and Better Business Bureau (BBB) ratings.
Coverage
Focused on overall coverage quality, this rating is based on types of extended warranty plans, coverage term length, and added benefits like roadside assistance. A provider scores well if it offers more than three plans and mileage limits over 150,000 miles. Because it’s uncommon in the industry, coverage for maintenance items like brake pads is also noted.
Cost
The overall cost of coverage is one of the most significant factors that impact customers’ decisions about buying an extended warranty. The review score for cost is determined by comparing the price per year of coverage from various providers, with higher scores being awarded for lower average rates.
To accurately estimate warranty pricing information, our research team reviews sample quotes for a variety of plans and vehicles. This data is compiled from over 140 individual quotes we received from different companies for a range of plans and payment options. We present example quotes in this article, but be aware that you may find different prices based on personal factors like vehicle type, provider, length, and level of coverage.
Transparency
Transparency is an important quality to look for in extended warranty providers. Some companies make it easy to find sample contracts and read the fine print, while others make it difficult. Our transparency score takes into account sample contract accessibility as well as the presence of a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Customer Service
Great coverage options and prices mean nothing if the company lacks good customer service. We comb through customer reviews and perform our own shopper analysis to get a sense of the responsiveness and helpfulness of each warranty company. When speaking to representatives, our researchers assess issues like whether agents are more likely to explain coverage or are focused only on making a sale.
Extended Warranty Customer Review Categories
How we weigh each of these categories to determine the overall score is influenced by a survey conducted by our research team. To complete the survey, we polled 1,000 consumers who have bought or thought about purchasing an extended warranty.
Which factors are most important to consumers when purchasing an extended warranty? Most respondents answered that coverage was the most important factor.
Below are the top five factors most important to extended warranty customers:
- Coverage (52 percent)
- Cost (19 percent)
- Customer service (13 percent)
- Transparency (10 percent)
- Industry standing (5 percent)
Of those who had extended warranties (whether they had used coverage or not), 65 percent of respondents were satisfied, and 13 percent of respondents were dissatisfied to some degree.